Although your genes doubtless hold valuable information about your health, we’re still learning how to interpret that information. Credibility is stretched to the breaking point when companies claim to be able to put together genetically-tailored diet plans and nutritional supplements that will protect you against genetically predisposed diseases or—even more fantastically--compensate for a genetic variant that’s getting in the way of weight loss. There is simply no evidence to support this claim.

It’s possible that we will one day be able to customize our nutritional prescriptions based on genetic information. But that day—if it ever dawns—is still very far away. In the meantime, to paraphrase Dr. Helen Wallace of GeneWatch UK, tailoring your diet to your genetic make-up is about as scientific as tailoring your diet to your astrological sign.

For now, keep your money in your pocket, or better yet, spend it on some nice fruits and vegetables. DNA testing won’t tell you anything about what you should or shouldn’t be eating that you don’t know already.

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